After 2020, we all hope for better times ahead in 2021. In such moments, I think it important to recalibrate our spiritual antennas to heaven’s frequency. I found great encouragement from this statement from the Spirit of Prophecy for the start of this year:

I wish you a happy new year. Let us put away everything like distrust and want of faith in Jesus forever. Let us commence a life of simple child-like trust, not relying upon feeling but upon faith…

I have to fight the good fight of faith everyday. I have to put to the stretch the powers of faith and not rely upon feeling, and act as though I knew the Lord heard me, and would answer me and bless me. Faith is not a happy flight of feeling, it is simply taking God at His word and believing, because God said He would do this....

God wants you to be free, He wants you to be believing, to be trustful, and just cease to doubt and believe. May God help you.... A new year has opened upon us. Let it be a happy New Year.... Nestle in the sheltering arms of Jesus, and do not wrestle yourself out of His arms. Just believe and praise God and go forward. We are almost home. – This Day with God, p. 9

The Only Safe Place

The sheltering arms of Jesus is the only safe place we can retreat to in a time of anxiety and unrest. The struggle is to not wrestle ourselves out of His arms with murmuring and distrust! May we learn to live by faith and not by feeling, and to simply take Him at His word. Jesus has given us eternal promises on which to hang our weight:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. – Hebrews 13:5

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. – Isaiah 26:3,4

In light of these precious promises, I can humbly receive the following rebuke and admonition:

It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings—as much a duty as it is to pray. If we are heaven-bound, how can we go as a band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the way to our Father's house? - Ministry of Healing, p. 251

May we start this year with Jesus—resting with childlike faith in His strong arms, and resisting the urge to pluck ourselves out of His care through discontentment and unbelief!

Light in the Darkness

I praise God that AudioVerse has been a source of light during these dark times, to help people remain connected with Jesus.

I praise God for this ministry that provides for my spiritual feeding and shines the light in these darkest times. – Renaleen

A testimony of the power of God has delivered me from the life of addiction and unbelief to His marvelous light! - Randy

Very inspiring messages for this time. Audioverse.org has been a great blessing to me and my family. God has used this app to change my life for the better. – App User

I’ve also spoken with numerous people who inform me that during the COVID lockdowns and church closures, they have taken to using AudioVerse as a resource for Bible studies over Zoom. Some groups listen to the message together and then stop to discuss, others have assignments to listen during the week, and others are using the messages to help them in writing their own lessons.

Praise God that His people are being resourceful to continue spreading the light despite the trying times!

Starting With Jesus Kids Ministry

Another exciting report to start the new year is the announcement that “A Place to Do Something” has changed their name to “Starting With Jesus.” I shared a bit about our partnership with this exciting new ministry in a previous newsletter, which you can read here: AudioVerse Adopts A Place to Do Something.

But the Starting With Jesus team has been working tirelessly over the past few months on a number of fantastic resources for your children:

• New Website – They’ve redesigned their entire website where you can access all of the exciting resources below.
• The Story of Jesus Audiobook – A dynamic narration of Ellen White’s book, “The Story of Jesus.”
• SeedPod Kids Podcast – A daily program to help children ages 4 and up to have personal devotions.
• SeedPod Beginners Podcast – A bi-weekly program for children ages 0-5.
• Online Sabbath School Program – A weekly Sabbath school program for children with interactive activities and crafts.

Most of these programs are on AudioVerse already, but please also visit their website to subscribe and share these programs with the young people in your lives! Visit Starting With Jesus here.

Join Us in the New Year

We are headed to our Father’s house—we are almost home! There remains work to do before that day, so let’s not be distracted by our anxious doubts, but rather strike out in faith to labor for a perishing world.

AudioVerse intends to do just that, and we invite you to join us in 2021 as we seek to give our most diligent service to our Master. Please consider a gift to support this work today!

You may give at our donate page online, or by check to our mailing address below.

Thank you and Happy 2021!

Alistair Huong
Executive Director

AudioVerse | PO Box 2288 | Collegedale | TN 37315